Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae has condemned former World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger for comments he described as 'racist' ahead of their World Cup group stage match. Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 with a late goal from Deniz Undav, but the result was overshadowed by Schweinsteiger's remarks on German broadcaster ARD.
Schweinsteiger's controversial pre-match analysis
Speaking before the game, Schweinsteiger, who lifted the World Cup in 2014, characterised Ivory Coast's playing style as 'wild', 'unpredictable', and 'not so conditioned by tactics'. He added, 'A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We must be prepared for it to be unpredictable.'
The comments sparked immediate backlash, with Fae addressing the issue after Ivory Coast secured a historic 2-0 victory over Curacao, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the nation's history.
Fae's response: 'Sad and racist'
Speaking after the Curacao win, Fae, who led Ivory Coast to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2023, expressed his disappointment. 'I think it's sad,' he said. 'Schweinsteiger was a very good player; I have always loved him as a midfielder and the way he understood football. When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade.'
Fae emphasised that African teams are not merely physical but also tactical and technical. 'All I can show is that on the pitch African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical. I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind. If that's what he thinks, he is free to do so.'
Klopp declines to weigh in
The controversy also drew attention in German media, with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp refusing to comment when asked. 'Now you want to carry on the subject. No, no, I have no chance. I have no chance to answer this question. Everybody likes it so you bring me in this situation. It's not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject, and I don't even know what is appropriate to say. For African people it's one thing, for other people it's another thing, and I'm not here,' Klopp told reporters in New York.
Next matches for Ivory Coast and Germany
Ivory Coast is set to face either France or Norway in the round of 16 on June 30 in Texas. Germany, meanwhile, is projected to play Paraguay in Boston on June 29. Fae concluded by urging a focus on football: 'We'll move forward and try to forget what he said.'
